After a three-game absence, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is on track to return in Week 6 against the Falcons. The Bears are planning to start Williams on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The Bears’ Williams-led offense got off to a scintillating start in a 59-37 win over the Panthers in Week 1. Williams went 21 of 29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns in Carolina, but Week 2 was a struggle at home in inclement weather against the Vikings’ swarming defense. Trailing 6-3 late in the fourth quarter, Williams went down awkwardly on a first-and-goal scramble and had to be carted off the field. After subbing in backup Tyson Bagent, the Bears didn’t score again in what turned into a 9-3 loss.
The initial fear was that Williams suffered a season-ending injury, but he was instead diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. While it was not serious enough to require a stint on injured reserve, it ended the third-year signal-caller’s consecutive games streak at 36.
The Bears, who turned to Bagent and third-string passer Case Keenum when Williams was on the shelf, won two of three games and are sitting at 3-2. After Bagent spent time in concussion protocol, Keenum started against the Eagles in Week 3. Although Keenum performed great in a 27-7 victory, head coach Ben Johnson plugged in Bagent for their next two games. Bagent played fine in a 23-12 win over the Jets in Week 4, but Johnson pulled him during a 31-7 loss to the archrival Packers last Sunday. Bagent finished 12 of 21 for a meager 87 yards and two interceptions. Keenum wasn’t much better in relief, as he connected on 11 of 19 throws for 108 yards and a pick.
The Bears will be in much more capable hands with Williams, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick who enjoyed a strong second year in the NFL. Williams set a single-season franchise record with 3,942 passing yards, fired 27 TDs against seven INTs and guided the Bears to an 11-6 record. They won the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to stun the Packers in the wild-card round, but their season ended in an overtime nail-biter against the Rams in the divisional round. If the Bears are going to return to the playoffs and go on a longer run this season, they will likely need a healthy and effective Williams at the helm.